Christ is born for us!

Christus natus est nobis, venite, adoremus! Christ is born for us: come, let us adore him! This is the acclamation, proclaimed last night in the churches in Gozo and throughout the Christian world. Through this acclamation we acknowledge God made man out of love for us.

The three concepts that best capture the true meaning of Christmas as popularly understood are probably peace, joy and love. All three are perfectly captured by peace.

Before the cribs in our churches and in our homes, where Jesus lies helpless, we prayed that there would arise a firm will to seek peaceful solutions in familial conflicts; that there might be an end to the spread of violence in its many forms, the source of untold suffering; that there is an end to the numerous situations of unrest that risk degenerating into open conflict. We prayed that there arise a firm will which would seek peaceful solutions when problems arise in our families, in our nation, in the world we live in.

We prayed the Babe of Bethlehem to encourage attempts to promote dialogue and reconciliation, sustain the efforts to build peace, which hesitantly, yet not without hope, are being made all the time to bring about a more tranquil present and future for so many of our brothers and sisters in the world.

We prayed to the prince of true peace to help us understand that the only way to build peace is to flee in horror from evil, and to pursue goodness with courage and perseverance.

Christmas means the coming of peace between men and women. If we could simply imbibe the spirit of Christmas, there would be no more war or strife or hostility between us and other fellow humans on a personal, national, or universal level. If we could simply grasp the meaning of the life of Jesus, Jesus would eliminate the hatred and cruelty that exists between people.

If we read the clues in the culture that is engulfing us - the Hollywood Christmas films, the Christmas shows on TV, and most Christmas cards - it becomes apparent what the meaning of Christmas is supposed to be. Christmas is the celebration of love, generosity, benevolence, brotherhood, and familial bonding and the celebration of the joy, peace, and security that those things promote. The true meaning of Christmas - according to this way of thinking - is a kind of hallmark sentimentality about a world where there is no strife, no anger, no hatred, and no criticism; a world in which there is no warfare in any form.

This however is not the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not about man loving man - or, if you are confused, human loving human. The true meaning of Christmas is about God loving man. It is about God giving the most amazing and spectacular gift to all mankind - his own son Jesus.

As Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi looked down on the baby lying in the manger, what brought them joy was not the vision of a world where everyone was as gentle and innocent as a baby. What brought them joy was the vision of the final and ultimate defeat of sin and death, of war and evil.

This is what we wish readers for Christmas: that with good will they come with trust to the crib of the Saviour and that they may hasten to meet him. He comes to teach us the way of truth, peace and love.

A happy Christmas to all!